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If you find yourself dragging through another dull day or just can’t seem to find the motivation to tackle that next project, take a time out for a natural energy booster in five minutes or less. Stress at home, a hectic work week or simply over-scheduling yourself can take its toll on your energy level and leave you in a less than stellar mood. Knowing how to turn your day around in as little as five minutes can help you get through any difficult day with ease. You don’t have to load up on the caffeine either.

Here are just a few five-minute energy boosters that can help you get through that dull or difficult day:

Eat Fiber-Rich Breakfast Foods

One of the best things you can do for your diet – and your health – is to eat a high-fiber breakfast each morning. Bran, muesli or even good old-fashioned oatmeal will fill you up and provide you with a steady stream of energy through that busy morning. Eating a fiber-rich diet can curb hunger pangs and these healthy carbs will also keep blood sugar levels in check. These breakfast foods take less than five minutes to prepare and you’ll enjoy the benefits for hours. Remember these breakfast foods can be eaten any time of day. Eat them as a snack or replace another meal with these foods to enjoy the energy-boosting benefits.

Break for a Speedwalking Session

Take a break and get some fresh air to refresh your mind and body in just about five minutes. Just head outdoors for a quick walk and breathe deeply to get the oxygen flowing. The change of scenery and fresh oxygen can help to increase your energy levels and help you focus better when you head back indoors. Increase your heart rate enough and you might also benefit from a mild endorphin boost.

Reach for a Protein-Rich Snack

Snacks that are high in protein can be a great pick-me-up in the middle of a stressful or energy-zapping day. Unlike sweet and high-carb foods, protein-rich foods won’t put you on the sugar high-low cycle and will also make you feel more satisfied. Eating a protein-rich snack in the middle of the day can help you focus better and get through the rest of the day with ease. Take just five minutes to pack these snacks the night before so you always have something on hand when hunger pangs strike.

Stretch!

If you’ve been sitting at the computer all day or just feel too tired to do much of anything, get up and move around with a full-body stretching session. A series of stretches that engage your core muscle groups will increase circulation throughout your body. Make sure you’re breathing deeply and holding each stretch for more than a few seconds to make the most of this mini-break. Just five minutes is all it really takes to enjoy the benefits of a good stretch session.

Blisters on feet can be a very unpleasant experience and are typically formed due to skin irritation caused by continuous friction and moisture. Foot blisters can also occur in response to a skin allergy or infection. Watery fluid content in the eruptions on the skin’s surface is usually clear but can become yellow with pus in cases of severe infection. There are times when the situation can get so out of hand that the blood blister can be filled with blood. You need to consult a physician immediately in such situations before matters get worse.

These blisters should be treated as quickly as possible to prevent infection. Starting treatment early will reduce pain and discomfort. First you need to clean the affected area and dry it off completely. Presence of moisture on the skin will delay the healing process. Wash your feet with water and dry them gently taking care not to rub the affected area. You can then apply medication (ointment is a good choice) followed by covering the area with sterile dressing.

Many blister kits and sterile dressing pads are available which can be very effective. You can leave sterile dressing on the affected area until the foot blister heals completely. If you notice slow healing or no improvement, consult your physician without further delay.

Preventing blisters on feet is easy. You can follow these simple tips to prevent the formation of foot blister in future.

Never wear uncomfortable shoes, wet shoes or socks. Always select shoes which fit you well. You can use blister free socks if you need to wear socks for longer durations.

Keep your feet as dry as possible. You can use foot powder to keep them dry and prevent odor and foot blisters. Take special precautions during summer when you sweat more.

Don’t use the same pair of shoes or socks daily. It is better to keep two to three pairs. Use proper boots for hiking or long walks. If you feel sand or gravel particles inside your shoes, take off your boots immediately. Friction created by sand particles causes blisters on feet.

Give your feet good relaxation. Make sure you rest properly after a long hiking session or walk. This will prevent blisters from forming.

In fifth grade, I was completely in love with Allison Faber, the coolest, smartest, funniest girl in my class. We had a ton of shared interests—we both wanted to be writers when we grew up; we were both huge Detroit Tigers fans; we even had the same favourite player, Chet Lemon. In an eerie twist that convinced me that fate had brought Allison and I together, the numerals in each of our phone numbers added up to 34, which was also Chet Lemon’s jersey number.

After a year, I finally scored a date with Allison—it was the first date of my life. I took her to see the Richard Pryor movie Brewster’s Millions, and during the closing credits, I moved in for a kiss, and got dissed hard. It’s been a mottled trail of heartbreak and failed relationships ever since.

I may be the least qualified advice columnist on the planet. I’m 32 years-old and I’ve never been married or even lived with a girlfriend. In fact, my struggles have been so pronounced that my friend David Meiklejohn and I decided to make a movie called My Heart Is An Idiot, documenting the ups and downs of my own love life. Along the way, we’ve also been collecting other people’s stories of romantic misfires. Even if I’m an idiot with love, I always find myself full of advice for others. I guess if it’s true that you learn from your mistakes, well… I’ve done a lot of learning. And really, why squander day after day mismanaging my own love life when I can mismanage yours?

For this first column, I asked friends to send me their questions about love, sex, and relationships. Here’s a couple favourites of the e-mails I received.

Davy, hi, If a guy is really into a girl he’s dating, can she actually screw things up by sleeping with him too soon? If it doesn’t work out, was it that the guy wasn’t really that interested in the first place, or lost interest because there was no challenge left?
— Molly in Asheville, North Carolina

That’s a great question, Molly. Your instincts are spot on. Guys like a challenge; if something comes to us too easily, it’s less tantalizing. In the early stages of relationships, some people take the high road and refuse to play games. I respect that in theory, but the truth is this: games work. You want to hook a guy? Don’t act too interested. Keep him off balance. When you get a message from him, call him back right away sometimes and other times wait a few days. Remain just beyond his grasp.

I’ll probably get pummeled by my homeys for saying this, but I think if you really like a guy, it’s probably worth waiting a little while before you start having sex. Hold off until the fifth or sixth time you hang out—this will keep the guy in full courtship mode, and give both of you a chance to see if you really like each other, not just each other’s bodies.

Hey Davy, Whenever I’m making out with a girl, there’s always a point where my mind stops and asks, “What do you think you’re doing? This is ridiculous”—half-anthropologist, half-little kid. I know I should be overwhelmed with passion or whatever, but I’m almost never overwhelmed by anything. How do I answer or silence that little voice?
— Rob in Vancouver, B.C.

Rob. Rob. Homey. Listen to me. You need to drink more. Have a drank, dogg! Next time you’re hangin’ out with one of these girls, please have five drinks first, then call me in the morning and let me know how it goes. I promise you, your mind will be on other things besides how strange it is to have your face that close to someone else’s face. You’ll be thinking about more important things, like how to get payback on me for suggesting that girls wait ’til the fifth or sixth date before they have sex with you.

Okay readers, you get the idea; now I’m passing the mic to all of you. Please send me your questions about love, sex, and relationships—I will respond personally to every question I receive, and in two weeks I’ll be back to share a few of my answers right here. Your identity will always be kept absolutely anonymous unless you specify that you’d like your name used. All right, peace!

With over 100 years of skill in musical instrument manufacturing, Yamaha has an established record of excellence products. In 1966, Yamaha created its first electric guitar in Japan.

Yamaha’s goal is to make the happiness of music available to all. They have created a variety of guitar kits. Some starter kits include a padded gig bag, amplifier, guitar cable, and more. It also can be customized to meet the demands of the emergent musician.

Yamaha even has the Silent Guitar. This assists those who need to practice but are living populated places. Students who live in dorms or apartments love this. They plug in their headset to the guitar and get great sound quality. When they’re able to play live, they just hook up to a sound system for all to hear.

Yamaha electric guitars are indicated by their neck building. Their neck is distinctive because it’s set deep with the body of the guitar instead of attached to the body. Additionally they have the distinct maintain plate and T-Cross system. With these patented characteristics, you are able to create a warm expert tone. Yamaha electric guitars aren’t only known for their excellence design and sound, but for their affordability. Beginning and intermediate players love Yamaha as they can find inexpensive equipment that is user friendly.

Yamaha has manufactured several different models to cater to all expertise levels. Therefore, from starter to specialist, there is a Yamaha electric guitar to suit. They’re very versatile in features and price range. So whether you’re a newbie or an experienced player you will find the perfect package to suit your playing style and more significantly your wallet.